The second deal is one of the most enigmatic of all card sleights. In theory, it's a simple move; pretend to deal the top card while actually dealing the second card from the top. In actual practice, however, it is among the most difficult of all moves to perform invisibly. It requires absolute coordination of the hands and a precision of action that can only come from hours and hours of dedicated practice.

Half the battle of learning a good second is finding more than just a skimpy description to start with. This is especially true of Push Off seconds where finding reliable information is about as easy as knitting soot in a tornado. There have been a few reasonable descriptions and those are often hidden away in hard to find or out of print books.

Hopefully these pages will change that problem. Here you'll find a number of second deals (over fifteen, plus variations!) descriped in nit picking detail. I've started by assuming that you know nothing about the sleight and tried to guide you, stage by stage, towards the mountain peak of perfection. It is important to study and learn each stage before moving to the next. Each is important as the others. By skipping and rushing, you will only end up with a deal that will fool nobody. If you want to deal the invisible and natural way gambling cheats do, it will take considerable time and effort. So the sixty four thousand dollar question, I guess, is, ''just how long will it take?'' A lot will depend on your ability with cards to start with, but a fair estimate would be, practicing two to three hours a day (every day), about eighteen to twenty four months to get anywhere near reasonable.

It does sound like a long time compared to other, much simpler, sleights. But, trust me, the day you practice in front of a mirror and fool yourself as you deal will make all that swearing and throwing of cards worth while.